Top 5 series deciders in one-day cricket

3. Australia vs West Indies, 5th ODI at St. Lucia, 25th March 2012

Australia unexpectedly faced a monumental challenge against the West Indies. Australia toured West Indies after a successful tri-series win against India and Sri Lanka.

The first two games were low-scoring ones with either team taking each. The third one-day which was yet another low-scoring thriller which resulted in a tie. Chasing a paltry score of 220, West Indies lost five wickets for just 78 runs. However, they fought admirably well but Australia kept the fight coming and bowled West Indies for 220.

The fourth game was comprehensively taken by West Indies. Kieron Pollard scored an impressive and a destructive century and was dismissed in the third last delivery of the innings for 102. If that was a special innings from Pollard, there was another important one from Darren Sammy which led West Indies to a match-winning total of 281.

Australia's batsmen had put on a string of good starts, however, David Hussey and Bret Lee were the only ones with substantial scores to their names. Lack of partnerships resulted in Australia losing by 42 runs.

West Indies walked into the decider leading the series by 2-1. Australia had a strong start to their innings, batting first with both Warner and Watson scoring half-centuries. Peter Forrest chipped in with yet another fifty of his own. Boundaries being deserted in the death overs meant that Australia ended up with 281 from their fifty overs.

West Indies had another poor start to their innings with none of their top-order batsmen making it count. West Indies had crumbled to 118-7, staring at a massive defeat. The skipper Sammy along with Andre Russell sparked an enormous turnaround by adding 101 runs for the eighth wicket.

Andre Russell fell for 41 with West Indies still needing 62 runs to win. Darren Sammy kept the runs coming, however, with the tail in, West Indies were unraveling fast. West Indies needed 31 off 18 deliveries when Sammy heaved one into the leg side only to find Hussey.

Australia survived a mighty scare and a brave innings from Sammy. Sammy's quest to resurrect the innings was successful but his scintillating innings couldn't prevent Australia from drawing the series.